The Founding of a Party
Encyclopedia
The Founding of a Party, alternatively titled in English Beginning of the Great Revival for its international release, is a Chinese film released in 2011 to mark the 90th anniversary of the Communist Party of China
. The film is directed by Huang Jianxin
and Han Sanping
, both of whom also worked on the similar historical film, The Founding of a Republic
, and features a star-studded cast of Chinese actors, including Andy Lau
and Chow Yun-fat
. The film was created by the state-owned China Film Group
and depicts the formation of the Chinese Communist Party, from the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911 to the Party's creation in 1921.
, Li Dazhao
, and Zhou Enlai
, envision a unified China, especially in the political crises that followed the 1911 Xinhai Revolution
, which ended centuries of dynastic rule in the country. After World War I, the Western Allies
give Tsingtao
and Kiaochow Bay
to the Empire of Japan
, stirring sentiments amongst China's youth, leading to the May Fourth Movement
of 1919. In March 1920, Grigori Voitinsky
comes to China in an attempt to spread communism to the Far East and, on 22 July 1921, thirteen representatives from throughout China meet in a Shanghai's women's dormitory to found what would become the Chinese Communist Party
.
to mark the 90th anniversary of the Communist Party, filming on Party commenced on 18 August 2010 at the China Film Group Corporation's shooting location in Huairou District
, Beijing.
Dubbed by Western media as a "propaganda epic", the film has a final all-star cast, including celebrities from mainland China
, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and abroad playing the roles of various historical figures; a few notable actors include Andy Lau
, Chow Yun-fat
, Taiwanese-American singer Leehom Wang, Hong Kong director John Woo
, Taiwanese actor Chang Chen
, Hong Kong actor Eric Tsang
, Mainland China singer Han Geng and Russian singer Vitalii Vladasovich Grachyov (stage name Vitas
). Liu Ye, who plays as Mao Zedong, was reported to have gained 10 kilograms (22 lb) in order to play his role, a feat achieved by eating 20 eggs a day. Media reports claim that over 400 actors auditioned for the film's roles.
During a news conference on 8 June 2011, Huang Jianxin said that the film would have several scenes cut, as the original film would have otherwise been too long for theatrical release. Among the cuts were actress Tang Wei's
performance as Tao Yi, an early female partner of Mao Zedong. Some media reports claimed that Mao Zedong's grandson Mao Xinyu
, a major-general in the People's Liberation Army
, objected to her being inappropriate for the role (citing her earlier role in the erotic-thriller film Lust, Caution
). A cinema group executive, however, alleged that unnamed "industry insiders" had questioned the factual accuracy of her character and denied the decision was related to Wei's role in Lust, Caution.
Production values have improved over Han Sanping's previous film The Founding of a Republic, with better-lit widescreen photography created by Zhao Xiaoshi. As with Republic, Party also features musical scores by Shu Nan. Some original black-and-white documentary footage included within the film. The film was also given an opportunity to shoot within the Moscow Kremlin
.
had become 'chief business partner' to the film. General Motors was hit by criticism upon revelations that it had sponsored the Chinese communist propaganda film. General Motors said the sponsorship was a commercial alliance initiated by its Chinese joint venture and described it as "part of a strategic alignment with the film industry." Film group spokesman said Cadillac had signed a multi-year cooperation deal with the studio, not solely for the film.
version of the film was screened in only a select 20 of the 24 IMAX theatres in China.
The Chinese theatrical releases of Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
were delayed until late July, possibly to ensure that The Founding of a Party received the maximum amount of attention possible.
50 million, and there were reports that the majority of viewers were young people. However, there are also reports that ticket sales have been inflated by mass distribution of free tickets; staff have been given time-off from work to see the film. Box office takings have been inflated at the expense of popular films – many complicit cinemas manually altered computerised ticket stubs for the film, allowing the viewer to see other films.
A review by Derek Elley suggests that Han Sanping's idea of "selling" official anniversary films by cramming them full of celebrity cameos was not as successful in The Founding of a Party in comparison to his previous 2009 film The Founding of a Republic
created to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China
, although the tactic still works to a lesser extent; he suggests that the use of star cameos was inherently less panoramic because the film plot is set within a smaller scope of a 10 year period, and that the concept of star cameos is "a tad less fresh". As with Republic, Party provides a strong "ooh-look! factor" due to its familiar faces, however very few actors get a chance to build real performances in dramatic terms. He also praises the scene designs, referring to a sequence in Beijing as having a "fairytale atmosphere". Derek rates the film overall at 7 out of 10.
Zhao Kun from the state-run Global Times
similarly writes that though the celebrity cameos are fun to identify, they can become quite distracting to the viewer. He also suggests that the large amount of on-screen textual explanation can be associated with the film crew's ineptitude in storytelling. Though he states that the drama is decently done, Zhao also criticizes that the short plot episodes are inconsistent and do not allow for actors to melt into the storyline, and gives the film an overall final rating of 6 out of 10.
Some Internet users in mainland China rated the film very low scores on online polls and posted critical comments relating to the film. According to Radio France Internationale
, preliminary reviews from Chinese netizens made online within two days after the film's release were generally negative. Popular Chinese movie review websites MTime and Douban deleted previous low rating and negative comments on the film in an exercise of self-censorship
; a screenshot of the douban website prior to its disabling the ratings system shows that 87.8 percent users had given the movie a one-star rating. The sites no longer allow users to post reviews.
Chinese users of Twitter and other blogging platforms and forums have written sardonic reviews of the film, highlighting the irony of glorifying the overthrow of the Kuomintang's dictatorship, only to impose one-party rule. One Twitter user was reported as saying, "Yesterday I was mocking at the founding of the party, but after watching the trailer, I really feel that all young people should see this movie and learn from the movie how to struggle with corrupted power. Learn how to strike and overthrow the dictatorship." Another blogger tweeted, "Beginning of the Great Revival should consider putting up a warning statement: "Danger! Do not imitate! The show is performed by professionals, imitation will lead to imprisonment or disappearance." An editorial in the Hong Kong magazine, Yazhou Zhoukan observed that "ninety-some years ago, the people of China pursued the dream of social and economic justice, but today these are still in sight but beyond reach, they are still beautiful fictions on the silver screen.” The editorial also drew a contrast between one of the film's central slogans "Long live the workers!" with the modern day plight of Chinese migrant workers, who are described as "second-class citizens."
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
. The film is directed by Huang Jianxin
Huang Jianxin
Huang Jianxin is a Chinese film director. He is normally considered part of the fifth generation of Chinese filmmakers , due to shared traits in his works, although he was not a strictly a member of the inaugural 1982 class of the Beijing Film Academy...
and Han Sanping
Han Sanping
Han Sanping is a Chinese film producer. He is the chairman of China Film Group, which has been hailed as one of the largest distributors and exporters of Chinese films...
, both of whom also worked on the similar historical film, The Founding of a Republic
The Founding of a Republic
The Founding of a Republic is a 2009 Chinese historical film commissioned by China's film regulator and made by the state-owned China Film Group to mark the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China...
, and features a star-studded cast of Chinese actors, including Andy Lau
Andy Lau
Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...
and Chow Yun-fat
Chow Yun-Fat
Chow Yun-fat, SBS is an actor from Hong Kong. He is best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled; and to the West for his role as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...
. The film was created by the state-owned China Film Group
China Film Group
China Film Group Corporation , abbreviated as CFGC, is the largest and most influential state-run film enterprise in China.-History:The predecessor China Film Corporation was established in 1949...
and depicts the formation of the Chinese Communist Party, from the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911 to the Party's creation in 1921.
Plot
During the early 20th century, China is marked by political disunity and a handful of individuals, including Mao ZedongMao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
, Li Dazhao
Li Dazhao
Li Dazhao was a Chinese intellectual who co-founded the Communist Party of China with Chen Duxiu in 1921.-Early life:...
, and Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976...
, envision a unified China, especially in the political crises that followed the 1911 Xinhai Revolution
Xinhai Revolution
The Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, also known as Revolution of 1911 or the Chinese Revolution, was a revolution that overthrew China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing , and established the Republic of China...
, which ended centuries of dynastic rule in the country. After World War I, the Western Allies
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
give Tsingtao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
and Kiaochow Bay
Jiaozhou Bay
The Jiaozhou Bay is a sea gulf located in Qingdao Prefecture of Shandong Province. It was a German colonial concession from 1898 until 1914....
to the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
, stirring sentiments amongst China's youth, leading to the May Fourth Movement
May Fourth Movement
The May Fourth Movement was an anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement growing out of student demonstrations in Beijing on May 4, 1919, protesting the Chinese government's weak response to the Treaty of Versailles, especially the Shandong Problem...
of 1919. In March 1920, Grigori Voitinsky
Grigori Voitinsky
Grigori Naumovich Voitinsky aka Zarkhin was a Comintern official during its creation, and was sent to China in 1920 as an advisor to contact the prominent Chinese radicals such as Chen Duxiu, just before the formation of the Communist Party of China...
comes to China in an attempt to spread communism to the Far East and, on 22 July 1921, thirteen representatives from throughout China meet in a Shanghai's women's dormitory to found what would become the Chinese Communist Party
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
.
Production
One of 28 films promoted by the State Administration of Radio, Film, and TelevisionState Administration of Radio, Film, and Television
The State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television is an executive branch under the State Council of the People's Republic of China...
to mark the 90th anniversary of the Communist Party, filming on Party commenced on 18 August 2010 at the China Film Group Corporation's shooting location in Huairou District
Huairou District
Huairou District is situated at northern Beijing. Huairou District, covering an area of 2,557.3 square kilometers, is divided into 2 subdistricts of the city of Huairou, 12 towns and 2 ethnic rural townships with a population of 296,002...
, Beijing.
Dubbed by Western media as a "propaganda epic", the film has a final all-star cast, including celebrities from mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and abroad playing the roles of various historical figures; a few notable actors include Andy Lau
Andy Lau
Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...
, Chow Yun-fat
Chow Yun-Fat
Chow Yun-fat, SBS is an actor from Hong Kong. He is best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled; and to the West for his role as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...
, Taiwanese-American singer Leehom Wang, Hong Kong director John Woo
John Woo
John Woo Yu-Sen SBS is a Hong Kong-based film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard...
, Taiwanese actor Chang Chen
Chang Chen
Chang Chen is a Taiwanese actor, born in Taipei, Taiwan. His name is sometimes seen in the Western order . He is the son of a Taiwanese actor Chang Kuo Chu and brother of a Taiwanese actor, Chang Han .-Career:...
, Hong Kong actor Eric Tsang
Eric Tsang
Eric Tsang Chi-wai , MH is a prolific Hong Kong actor, film director, film producer and television host best known for hosting the Super Trio series on TVB over the course of 10 years.-Biography:Due to his popularity, he is often the MC in events organized by TVB, and is nicknamed "the Prize Master"...
, Mainland China singer Han Geng and Russian singer Vitalii Vladasovich Grachyov (stage name Vitas
Vitas
Vitaliy "Vitalik" Vladasovich Grachyov , better known by his stage name Vitas , is a Russian singer-songwriter.Known for his high falsetto voice, he has been given the nickname "Prince of the Dolphin Voice" in China...
). Liu Ye, who plays as Mao Zedong, was reported to have gained 10 kilograms (22 lb) in order to play his role, a feat achieved by eating 20 eggs a day. Media reports claim that over 400 actors auditioned for the film's roles.
During a news conference on 8 June 2011, Huang Jianxin said that the film would have several scenes cut, as the original film would have otherwise been too long for theatrical release. Among the cuts were actress Tang Wei's
Tang Wei
Tang Wei is a Chinese actress. She rose to prominence for her appearance in Lust, Caution.-1979–2006: Early life and beginnings:...
performance as Tao Yi, an early female partner of Mao Zedong. Some media reports claimed that Mao Zedong's grandson Mao Xinyu
Mao Xinyu
Mao Xinyu , born Saturday, January 17, 1970, is a Chinese historian and military officer, and grandson of Mao Zedong.-Career:Mao Xinyu graduated from the History Department of Renmin University of China in 1992. He works as a researcher at the People's Liberation Army Academy of Military Sciences,...
, a major-general in the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
, objected to her being inappropriate for the role (citing her earlier role in the erotic-thriller film Lust, Caution
Lust, Caution
Lust, Caution is an 2007 Chinese espionage thriller film directed by Ang Lee, based on the novella of the same name published in 1950 by Chinese author Eileen Chang. The story is mostly set in Hong Kong in 1938 and in Shanghai in 1942, when it was occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army and ruled by...
). A cinema group executive, however, alleged that unnamed "industry insiders" had questioned the factual accuracy of her character and denied the decision was related to Wei's role in Lust, Caution.
Production values have improved over Han Sanping's previous film The Founding of a Republic, with better-lit widescreen photography created by Zhao Xiaoshi. As with Republic, Party also features musical scores by Shu Nan. Some original black-and-white documentary footage included within the film. The film was also given an opportunity to shoot within the Moscow Kremlin
Moscow Kremlin
The Moscow Kremlin , sometimes referred to as simply The Kremlin, is a historic fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, overlooking the Moskva River , Saint Basil's Cathedral and Red Square and the Alexander Garden...
.
Sponsorship
Shanghai GM, the Chinese joint venture of the US automotive giant General Motors, announced in September 2010 that its subsidiary CadillacCadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
had become 'chief business partner' to the film. General Motors was hit by criticism upon revelations that it had sponsored the Chinese communist propaganda film. General Motors said the sponsorship was a commercial alliance initiated by its Chinese joint venture and described it as "part of a strategic alignment with the film industry." Film group spokesman said Cadillac had signed a multi-year cooperation deal with the studio, not solely for the film.
Release
The premiere event of the film took place on 8 June in Beijing, prior to its official release on 15 June. According to Han Sanping, the film will be shown abroad in over 10 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, South Korea and Singapore, and that the global version of the film finished editing on 8 June. The theme song of the film is titled One Day. The IMAXIMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
version of the film was screened in only a select 20 of the 24 IMAX theatres in China.
The Chinese theatrical releases of Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is a 2011 epic fantasy film directed by David Yates and the second of two films based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the eighth and final instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David...
were delayed until late July, possibly to ensure that The Founding of a Party received the maximum amount of attention possible.
Reception
Two days after the box office release, the film's gross exceeded RMBRenminbi
The Renminbi is the official currency of the People's Republic of China . Renminbi is legal tender in mainland China, but not in Hong Kong or Macau. It is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of the PRC...
50 million, and there were reports that the majority of viewers were young people. However, there are also reports that ticket sales have been inflated by mass distribution of free tickets; staff have been given time-off from work to see the film. Box office takings have been inflated at the expense of popular films – many complicit cinemas manually altered computerised ticket stubs for the film, allowing the viewer to see other films.
A review by Derek Elley suggests that Han Sanping's idea of "selling" official anniversary films by cramming them full of celebrity cameos was not as successful in The Founding of a Party in comparison to his previous 2009 film The Founding of a Republic
The Founding of a Republic
The Founding of a Republic is a 2009 Chinese historical film commissioned by China's film regulator and made by the state-owned China Film Group to mark the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China...
created to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China
60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China
The 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China took place on October 1, 2009. A military parade involving 10,000 troops and the display of many high-tech weapons was held in Tiananmen Square in Beijing and various celebrations were conducted all over the country...
, although the tactic still works to a lesser extent; he suggests that the use of star cameos was inherently less panoramic because the film plot is set within a smaller scope of a 10 year period, and that the concept of star cameos is "a tad less fresh". As with Republic, Party provides a strong "ooh-look! factor" due to its familiar faces, however very few actors get a chance to build real performances in dramatic terms. He also praises the scene designs, referring to a sequence in Beijing as having a "fairytale atmosphere". Derek rates the film overall at 7 out of 10.
Zhao Kun from the state-run Global Times
Global Times
The Global Times is a daily Chinese tabloid under the auspices of the official Chinese Communist Party newspaper, the People's Daily, focusing on international issues...
similarly writes that though the celebrity cameos are fun to identify, they can become quite distracting to the viewer. He also suggests that the large amount of on-screen textual explanation can be associated with the film crew's ineptitude in storytelling. Though he states that the drama is decently done, Zhao also criticizes that the short plot episodes are inconsistent and do not allow for actors to melt into the storyline, and gives the film an overall final rating of 6 out of 10.
Some Internet users in mainland China rated the film very low scores on online polls and posted critical comments relating to the film. According to Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale was created in 1975 as part of Radio France by the Government of France, and replaced the Poste Colonial , Paris Mondial , Radio Paris , RTF Radio Paris and ORTF Radio Paris...
, preliminary reviews from Chinese netizens made online within two days after the film's release were generally negative. Popular Chinese movie review websites MTime and Douban deleted previous low rating and negative comments on the film in an exercise of self-censorship
Self-censorship
Self-censorship is the act of censoring or classifying one's own work , out of fear of, or deference to, the sensibilities of others, without overt pressure from any specific party or institution of authority...
; a screenshot of the douban website prior to its disabling the ratings system shows that 87.8 percent users had given the movie a one-star rating. The sites no longer allow users to post reviews.
Chinese users of Twitter and other blogging platforms and forums have written sardonic reviews of the film, highlighting the irony of glorifying the overthrow of the Kuomintang's dictatorship, only to impose one-party rule. One Twitter user was reported as saying, "Yesterday I was mocking at the founding of the party, but after watching the trailer, I really feel that all young people should see this movie and learn from the movie how to struggle with corrupted power. Learn how to strike and overthrow the dictatorship." Another blogger tweeted, "Beginning of the Great Revival should consider putting up a warning statement: "Danger! Do not imitate! The show is performed by professionals, imitation will lead to imprisonment or disappearance." An editorial in the Hong Kong magazine, Yazhou Zhoukan observed that "ninety-some years ago, the people of China pursued the dream of social and economic justice, but today these are still in sight but beyond reach, they are still beautiful fictions on the silver screen.” The editorial also drew a contrast between one of the film's central slogans "Long live the workers!" with the modern day plight of Chinese migrant workers, who are described as "second-class citizens."
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Liu Ye | Mao Zedong Mao Zedong Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution... |
| Tang Guoqiang Tang Guoqiang Tang Guoqiang is an award winning Chinese actor best known for playing historical figures in several films and television series. Some of his more notable roles to date are: various Chinese emperors , Zhuge Liang, Yan Zhenqing and Mao Zedong... |
older Mao Zedong |
| Chen Kun | Zhou Enlai Zhou Enlai Zhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976... |
| Li Qin | Yang Kaihui Yang Kaihui Yáng Kāihuì , who was the second wife of Mao Zedong from 1920 to 1930, was born in a small village named Bancang, in Changsha, Hunan Province, on November 6, 1901. She had three children with Mao Zedong, named Mao Anying, Mao Anqing, and Mao Anlong... |
| Huang Jue | Li Da Li Da Li Da was a Chinese Marxist philosopher. Li Da left the Communist Party in the 1920s due to its reformism. However he maintained close ties with the Party and its underground apparatus. Li Da translated many European Marxist works into Chinese. Li Da's most important work was Elements of Sociology... |
| Liao Fan | Zhu De Zhu De Zhu De was a Chinese militarist, politician, revolutionary, and one of the pioneers of the Chinese Communist Party. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, in 1955 Zhu became one of the Ten Marshals of the People's Liberation Army, of which he is regarded as the founder.-Early... |
| Chow Yun-fat Chow Yun-Fat Chow Yun-fat, SBS is an actor from Hong Kong. He is best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled; and to the West for his role as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon... |
Yuan Shikai Yuan Shikai Yuan Shikai was an important Chinese general and politician famous for his influence during the late Qing Dynasty, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China , and his short-lived... |
| Qi Yuwu Qi Yuwu Qi Yuwu is a China-born Singapore film and television actor. Qi is a permanent resident of Singapore and a contracted artiste under Singapore's MediaCorp Studios.-Biography:... |
Wang Jinmei |
| Wang Xuebing | Bao Huiseng |
| Zhang Yishan | Deng Enming |
| Tong Ruixin | Chen Gongbo |
| Fan Zhibo | Cai Chang |
| Li Jing | Yuan Keding Yuan Keding Yuán Kèdìng , courtesy name Yuntai was the eldest son of Yuan Shikai. His mother was Yuan's original wife, Yu , and Yuan Kewen was his younger brother.... |
| Bai Bing | Lu Yin |
| Huang Lei | Cao Rulin Cao Rulin Cao Rulin was Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Beiyang Government, and an important member of the pro-Japanese movement in the early 20th century. He was a Shanghai lawyer working in Beijing when he was appointed by the provisional president, Yuan Shikai, to a vacant seat in the National... |
| Du Chun Du Chun Du Chun is a young Chinese actor with a thousand faces. Du has played as leading roles for more than a dozen of TV drama series. He is such a chameleon that you remember the characters he creates instead of his persona or even his name... |
Xu Deheng |
| Wang Xinjun | Xu Chongzhi |
| Tao Zeru | Zhang Xun Zhang Xun (Republic of China) Zhang Xun was a Qing-loyalist general who attempted to restore the abdicated emperor Puyi in 1917. He supported Yuan Shikai during his time as president.... |
| Liu Yiwei | Duan Zhigui Duan Zhigui Duan Zhigui was a Chinese general. Born in Hefei, Anhui, Duan gained the post of Heilongjiang governor in the late Qing dynasty and between 1912-13 he was governor of Chahar, and the military governor of Hubei between 1914–15, as well as Military and Civil governor of Fengtian in 1915-16.A... |
| Hou Yong Hou Yong (actor) Hou Yong is a Chinese actor from Lianyungang, Jiangsu province. He graduated from the Jiangsu Drama School in 1989.-Filmography:-External links:* *... |
Tang Shaoyi Tang Shaoyi Táng Shàoyí , was a Chinese diplomat, politician. He was the father-in-law of Wellington Koo and Lee Seng Gee.-Career:... |
| Zhao Lixin | Yang Mingzhai |
| Dai Xu | Yu Fangzhou |
| Li Qi | Lin Chenru's wife |
| Yang Yang | Yang Kaizhi |
| Yu Shaoqun | Mei Lanfang Méi Lánfang Mei Lanfang was one of the most famous Beijing opera artists in modern history, exclusively known for his qingyi roles, a type of dan role. Méi Lánfāng is his stage name, and in Chinese it is generally considered a feminine name. His real name was Méi Lán... |
| Liu Peiqi | Gu Hongming Gu Hongming Gu Hongming was an Malaysian Chinese man of letters.He also used the pen name "Amoy Ku".-Life:Gu Hongming was born in Penang, Malaysia, the second son of a Chinese rubber plantation superintendent, whose ancestral hometown was Tong'an, Fujian province, China, and his Portuguese wife... |
| Zhang Xilin | Wang Zhengting |
| Leehom Wang | Luo Jialun Luo Jialun Luo Jialun was a Chinese educator, historian and political activist. He was one of the leaders of the May Fourth Movement in 1919.-Biography:... |
| Ma Jing | Reporter |
| He Yunwei | French translator |
| Xu Haiqiao | Qu Qiubai Qu Qiubai Qu Qiubai was born in Changzhou, Jiangsu, China. He was a leader of the Communist Party of China in the late 1920s.-Early life:... |
| Wen Ruohan | Zhang Tailei Zhang Tailei Zhang Tailei was the leader of the 1927 Guangzhou Uprising, during which he was killed.In 1921 Zhang was sent to the Russian Far East to make a report to the Comintern for the Communist Party of China. Zhang then studied in Moscow for a few years... |
| Liu Tao Liu Tao For Liù Tāo 韜 see Six Secret TeachingsLiu Tao , is a Chinese actress. Her major works include Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, The Last Concubine, Princess Pearl and Dali Princess alongside popular Taiwanese actress Ruby Lin... |
Consort Jin |
| Jing Boran Jing Boran Jing Boran is a Chinese pop singer who became famous after winning first place in the 2007 My Hero contest. Along with third place winner, Fu Xinbo, he then formed a group called BoBo. The two has since released their first album. He is 1/8 Russian.... |
|
| Liu Ye | |
| Fang Anna | |
| Hong Jiantao | Huang Xing Huang Xing Huang Xing or Huang Hsing , was a Chinese revolutionary leader, militarist, and statesman, was the first army commander-in-chief of the Republic of China. As one of the founders of the Kuomintang and the Republic of China, his position was next to Sun Yat-sen. Together they were known as... |
| Bao Bei'er | Peking University Peking University Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the... student |
| Sergey Barkovski | Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a... |
| Yan Ruihan | Puyi Puyi Puyi , of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, was the last Emperor of China, and the twelfth and final ruler of the Qing Dynasty. He ruled as the Xuantong Emperor from 1908 until his abdication on 12 February 1912. From 1 to 12 July 1917 he was briefly restored to the throne as a nominal emperor by the... |
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Zhang Jiaze | Li Dazhao Li Dazhao Li Dazhao was a Chinese intellectual who co-founded the Communist Party of China with Chen Duxiu in 1921.-Early life:... |
| Li Chen | Zhang Guochou |
| Chang Chen Chang Chen Chang Chen is a Taiwanese actor, born in Taipei, Taiwan. His name is sometimes seen in the Western order . He is the son of a Taiwanese actor Chang Kuo Chu and brother of a Taiwanese actor, Chang Han .-Career:... |
Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin.... |
| Zhang Guoli Zhang Guoli Zhang Guoli is an award winning Chinese film director and actor. Zhang was a xiangsheng actor before he started working on films and television series. He is married to actress Deng Jie and their son Zhang Mo is also an actor.... |
older Chiang Kai-shek |
| Zhou Xun Zhou Xun Zhou Xun is a Chinese actress and singer. She is regarded as one of the "Four Young Dan actresses" in China in the early 2000s, along with Zhang Ziyi, Xu Jinglei and Zhao Wei.-Early life:... |
Wang Huiwu |
| Andy Lau Andy Lau Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time... |
Cai E Cai E Cai E or Tsai Ao was a Chinese revolutionary leader and warlord. He was born Cai Genyin in Shaoyang, Hunan, and his courtesy name was Songpo... |
| Zhang Hanyu Zhang Hanyu Zhang Hanyu is a Chinese actor.-Biography:Zhang graduated from the Beijing Central Academy of Drama in 1988. He started his career by doing Chinese voice dubbing for films such as Shark Tale, The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and Troy... |
Song Jiaoren Song Jiaoren Song Jiaoren was a Chinese republican revolutionary, political leader and a founder of the Kuomintang . He was assassinated in 1913 after leading his Kuomintang party to victory in China's first democratic elections... |
| He Ping He Ping He Ping is a Chinese film director, whose main filmography consists of a hybrid genre of Western-wuxia movies. He made three movies along this genre - Swordsmen in Double Flag Town , Sun Valley and Warriors of Heaven and Earth .He is an ethnic Manchu whose ancestors were members of the Blue... |
He Shuheng |
| Tan Kai | Chen Tanqiu Chen Tanqiu Chen Tanqiu was a founding member of the Communist Party of China .Chen Tanqiu graduated from Wuhan Higher Normal School after which he played a leadership role in the May Fourth Movement in 1919. Chen then created the Wuhan Communist group with Dong Biwu in 1920... |
| Huang Xuan | Liu Renjing |
| Michelle Ye Michelle Ye Michelle Ye Xuan is a Hong Kong actress. In 1999, she won the Miss Chinese International competition. Ye then signed a contract with TVB from 1999-2005. After she left TVB, She signed with Rich & Famous Talent Management Group Limited to pursue a movie career.Ye is fluent in Cantonese, English,... |
Li Lizhuang |
| Wang Luodan | Zhang Ruoming |
| Che Yongli | Lu Xiaoman |
| Liu Yunlong | Jiang Baili Jiang Baili Jiang Baili was a Chinese military trainer.1899, Jiang entered Qiushi Academy in Hangzhou through examination . Afer becoming Xiucai in 1898, Jiang went abroad to study in the Imperial Japanese Army Academy. He graduated with the highest score and was honored a sword by Emperor Shōwa. He joined... |
| Liu Wenzhi | Xu Shichang |
| Fan Wei Fan Wei Fan Wei , born September 2, 1962 in Shenyang, Liaoning, China, is a Chinese skit and sitcom actor and film actor, best known for his performances with Zhao Benshan in CCTV New Year’s Galas since 1995. In recent years, he has been featured in such films as Cell Phone, A World Without Thieves, If... |
Li Yuanhong Li Yuanhong Li Yuanhong was a Chinese general and political figure during the Qing dynasty and the republican era. He was twice president of the Republic of China.- Early history :... |
| Alex Fong Chung-sun | Yang Du |
| Daniel Wu Daniel Wu Daniel Yin-Cho Wu is a Hong Kong actor, director and producer. Since his film debut in 1998, he has been featured in over 40 films. Wu has been called "the young Andy Lau," and is known as a "flexible and distinctive" leading actor in the Chinese-language film industry.-Early life:Wu was born in... |
Hu Shih Hu Shih Hu Shih , born Hu Hung-hsing , was a Chinese philosopher, essayist and diplomat. His courtesy name was Shih-chih . Hu is widely recognized today as a key contributor to Chinese liberalism and language reform in his advocacy for the use of written vernacular Chinese... |
| Zu Feng | Deng Zhongxia |
| Lin Shen | Duan Xipeng |
| Shu Yaoxuan | Wu Bingxiang |
| Guo Jinglin | Zhang Zongxiang |
| Feng Danying | Zhang Cuixi |
| Chen Daoming Chen Daoming Chen Daoming is a famous Chinese actor known for his flexibility and longevity. He has been branded the Emperor of Chinese drama, having starred in all types of dramas and films.... |
V.K. Wellington Koo |
| Ren Zhengbin | Wei Chenzu |
| Xie Mengwei | Driver |
| Fan Lei | Bodyguard leader |
| Wang Shuoxin | Li Fuchun |
| Li Xuejian Li Xuejian Li Xuejian is a Chinese actor. He is best known for his role as Song Jiang in The Water Margin, a 1997 television series adapted from the Chinese classical novel of the same title. Li has also played the roles of military personnel in television dramas set in the Chinese Civil War... |
Yang Changji |
| Deng Chao Deng Chao Deng Chao is a popular Chinese actor, member of National Theatre. He achieved success when he acted as a leading role in the modern comedian drama Cui Hua, Serve Suancai, please. After graduating from Central Academy of Drama, Deng became even greater success from his acting in the historical... |
Chen Yi Chen Yi (communist) Chen Yi was a Chinese communist military commander and politician. He served as the 2nd Mayor of Shanghai and the 2nd Foreign Minister of China.-Biography:Chen was born in Lezhi, near Chengdu, Sichuan, into a moderately wealthy magistrate's family.... |
| Wen Zhang | Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician, statesman, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng was a reformer who led China towards a market economy... |
| Xiaoshenyang Xiaoshenyang Xiaoshenyang , born as Shen He , is a Chinese artiste. He is a disciple of Zhao Benshan and formally an er ren zhuan performer. His stage name means literally "Little Shenyang".... |
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| Chen Guoxing | |
| Dong Jie Dong Jie Dong Jie is a Chinese actress and dancer.-Biography:Dong made her debut in Zhang Yimou's Happy Times , where she played a blind girl mistreated by her stepmother. Zhang selected Dong after a casting call on the Internet... |
Soong Ching-ling Soong Ching-ling Soong Ching-ling , also known as Madame Sun Yat-sen, was one of the three Soong sisters—who, along with their husbands, were amongst China's most significant political figures of the early 20th century. She was the Vice Chairman of the People's Republic of China... |
| Zou Junbo | Zhu Qisheng |
| Vitalii Vladasovich Grachyov Vitas Vitaliy "Vitalik" Vladasovich Grachyov , better known by his stage name Vitas , is a Russian singer-songwriter.Known for his high falsetto voice, he has been given the nickname "Prince of the Dolphin Voice" in China... |
Grigori Voitinsky Grigori Voitinsky Grigori Naumovich Voitinsky aka Zarkhin was a Comintern official during its creation, and was sent to China in 1920 as an advisor to contact the prominent Chinese radicals such as Chen Duxiu, just before the formation of the Communist Party of China... |
| Eric Tsang Eric Tsang Eric Tsang Chi-wai , MH is a prolific Hong Kong actor, film director, film producer and television host best known for hosting the Super Trio series on TVB over the course of 10 years.-Biography:Due to his popularity, he is often the MC in events organized by TVB, and is nicknamed "the Prize Master"... |
Ta Kung Pao Ta Kung Pao Ta Kung Pao is the oldest active Chinese language newspaper in China. It is based in Hong Kong and has been funded by the government of the People's Republic of China since 1949... reporter |
| Myolie Wu Myolie Wu Myolie Wu Hang-yee is a Hong Kong actress for the Hong Kong TVB television station and a singer under contracts with Neway Star-Career:... |
Yuan Shikai's concubine |
| Gera Shchenko Andriyan | Henk Sneevliet Henk Sneevliet Hendricus Josephus Franciscus Marie Sneevliet, known as Henk Sneevliet or the pseudonym Maring , was a Dutch Communist, who was active in both the Netherlands and the Dutch East-Indies... |
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Feng Yuanzheng | Chen Duxiu Chen Duxiu Chen Duxiu played many different roles in Chinese history. He was a leading figure in the anti-imperial Xinhai Revolution and the May Fourth Movement for Science and Democracy. Along with Li Dazhao, Chen was a co-founder of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921. He was its first General Secretary.... |
| Pan Yueming | Cai Hesen Cai Hesen Cai Hesen was an early leader of the Chinese Communist Party, and a friend and comrade-in-arms of Mao Zedong. His courtesy name was Run Huan , and he was also known as He Xian , Zhe Ying , and Lin Bin... |
| Dong Xuan | Xiang Jingyu |
| Tang Wei Tang Wei Tang Wei is a Chinese actress. She rose to prominence for her appearance in Lust, Caution.-1979–2006: Early life and beginnings:... |
Tao Yi |
| Angela Yeung Wing | Xiaofengxian |
| Ma Shaohua | Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China... |
| Zhou Jie Zhou Jie Zhou Jie is a Chinese actor and singer, best known for his works on two television series as Fu Er Kang in the Huan Zhu Ge Ge trilogy and as Yang Kang in The Legend of the Condor Heroes .-Trivia and Gossip:... |
Li Hanjun |
| Wang Danrong | Dong Biwu Dong Biwu Dong Biwu was a Chinese communist political leader during the regime of Mao Zedong.-Biography:Dong Biwu was born in Huanggang, Hubei. He was the President of China from 1948 to 1949 and Acting President from 1968 until 17 January 1975 when Zhu De became the succeeding Chairman of the Standing... |
| Zhang Yi | Zhou Fohai Zhou Fohai Zhou Fohai , Chinese politician, and second in command of Wang Jingwei's collaborationist Nanjing Nationalist Government Executive Yuan.-Biography:... |
| Wang Xueqi Wang Xueqi Wang Xueqi is a Chinese film actor whose career has spanned over 25 years. He was often cast in early Fifth Generation films, such as Chen Kaige's Yellow Earth and The Big Parade , Huang Jianxin's Samsara, and Zhang Yimou's Codename Cougar... |
Cai Yuanpei Cai Yuanpei Cai Yuanpei was a Chinese educator and the president of Peking University. He was known for his critical evaluation of the Chinese culture that led to the influential May Fourth Movement... |
| Wang Po-chieh | Xiao Zisheng |
| John Woo John Woo John Woo Yu-Sen SBS is a Hong Kong-based film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard... |
Lin Sen Lin Sen Lin Sen , courtesy name Zichao , sobriquet Changren , was President of the National Government of the Republic of China from 1931 until his death.-Early life:... |
| Qin Lan | Su Xuelin Su Xuelin Su Xuelin Su Xuelin Su Xuelin (蘇雪林, 1897－April 22, 1999）was a Chinese author and scholar. She was born in Rui'an, Zhejiang and was a descendant of Su Zhe, a renowned poet of Song Dynasty. She studied in Anhui, and later Beijing under the supervision of Hu Shi. During the May Fourth Movement, she... |
| Ray Lui | Wu Peifu Wu Peifu Wu Peifu or Wu P'ei-fu , was a major figure in the struggles between the warlords who dominated Republican China from 1916 to 1927.- Early career :... |
| Zhao Benshan Zhao Benshan Zhao Benshan is a Chinese skit and sitcom actor, and recently turned TV director. He appears regularly on the CCTV New Year's Gala.-Biography:... |
Duan Qirui Duan Qirui Duan Qirui was a Chinese warlord and politician, commander in the Beiyang Army, and the Provisional Chief Executive of Republic of China from November 24, 1924 to April 20, 1926. He was arguably the most powerful man in China from 1916 to 1920.- Early life :Born in Hefei as Duan Qirui , his... |
| Feng Gong Feng Gong Feng Gong is a Chinese actor, xiangsheng performer, film director, and screenwriter from Tianjin, China. He is the great grandson of Feng Guozhang, a statesman and warlord of China during the early 20th century.- Partial filmography :... |
Feng Guozhang Feng Guozhang Féng Guózhāng, was a key Beiyang Army general and politician in early republican China. He held the office of Vice-President and then President of the Republic of China... |
| Zhao Chenhao | Feng Guozhang's deputy |
| Nick Cheung Nick Cheung Nick Cheung Ka-fai is a Hong Kong actor. He is married to actress Esther Kwan and the two have a daughter together named Brittany.Cheung was a Royal Hong Kong Police officer for five years and changed his career as an actor with ATV... |
Liang Qichao Liang Qichao Liang Qichao |Styled]] Zhuoru, ; Pseudonym: Rengong) was a Chinese scholar, journalist, philosopher and reformist during the Qing Dynasty , who inspired Chinese scholars with his writings and reform movements... |
| Ren Zhong | Yuan Jiasheng |
| Zhang Jian | Lin Chenru |
| Xia Fan | Zhang Shenfu |
| Jiang Shan | Chen Yan'an |
| Zhang Shan | Zhang Boling Zhang Boling Zhang Boling was the founder of Nankai University and the Nankai system of schools.-Biography:... |
| Lin Yongjian | Lou Tseng-Tsiang Lou Tseng-Tsiang Lou Tseng-Tsiang was a Chinese diplomat and a Roman Catholic monk. He was twice Premier of the Republic of China and led his country's delegation at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919... |
| Tian Xiaojie | Alfred Sao-ke Sze Alfred Sao-ke Sze Dr. Alfred Sao-ke Sze was a prominent Chinese politician and diplomat during the most turbulent period in modern Chinese history.-Early life:... |
| Zhao Chenguang | Reporter |
| Xu Zheng | Duan Qirui's deputy |
| Han Geng | Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician, statesman, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng was a reformer who led China towards a market economy... |
| Yu Xiaoguang | Liu Shaoqi Liu Shaoqi Liu Shaoqi was a Chinese revolutionary, statesman, and theorist. He was Chairman of the People's Republic of China, China's head of state, from 27 April 1959 to 31 October 1968, during which he implemented policies of economic reconstruction in China... |
| Fan Bingbing | Empress Dowager Longyu Empress Dowager Longyu Empress Xiao Ding Jing ; is better known as the Empress Dowager Longyu , . Also , she had the nickname was Xizi （喜子）. Empress Xiao Ding Jing was the Qing Dynasty Empress Consort of the Guangxu Emperor who ruled China from 1875 till 1908... |
| Jiang Wu | |
| Nie Weiping Nie Weiping Nie Weiping in Shen, Hebei, China) is a professional Go player.- Biography :Nie began learning Go at the age of nine and won the inaugural World Amateur Go Championship in 1979. Nie was given 9 dan rank in 1982. He became famous in the Go world after leading China to victory in the China-Japan... |
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| Fu Xinbo BoBo (band) BOBO is a Chinese boy band composed of two members, Jing Boran and Fu Xinbo .The two became famous after competing in the 2007 My Hero competition, with Jing Boran winning first and Fu Xinbo third. In 2008, the two released their own EP, Glory , and then the album, The Big World... |
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| Nie Yuan Nie Yuan -Early life:Nie was born in Zhenyuan County, Guizhou. His parents named his older brother and him "Zhen" and "Yuan" respectively to remind them not to forget their hometown... |
Chen Qimei Chen Qimei Chen Qimei was a Chinese revolutionary activist, close political ally of Sun Yat-sen, and early mentor of Chiang Kai-shek. He was as one of the founders of the Republic of China, and the uncle of Chen Guofu and Chen Lifu.... |
| Lin Xiang | Schoolteacher |
| Miriam Yeung Miriam Yeung Miriam Yeung, RN, is a Hong Kong actress and Cantopop singer. Before entering the entertainment business, she was a registered nurse at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Hong Kong. She studied at the Holy Family Canossian College Kowloon... |
Hong Kong teenager |
| Alex Fong Lik-san | Hong Kong teenager |
| Takuya Kimura Takuya Kimura , nicknamed , is a Japanese singer and actor. He is also a member of the Japanese idol group SMAP. Most of the TV dramas he starred in produced high ratings in Japan... |
Japanese military officer |
| Miura Kenichi | Japanese signatory of the Twenty-One Demands Twenty-One Demands The ' were a set of demands made by the Empire of Japan under Prime Minister Ōkuma Shigenobu sent to the nominal government of the Republic of China on January 18, 1915, resulting in two treaties with Japan on May 25, 1915.- Background :... |
External links
- The Founding of a Party at the Hong Kong Movie DataBaseHong Kong Movie DatabaseThe Hong Kong Movie DataBase is a bilingual website that was created in 1995 by Ryan Law to provide a repository for information about movies originating from Hong Kong and the people that created them....